News
Canadian Air & Space Museum launches fundraising campaign
Nov. 12, 2012, Toronto - The now "temporarily virtual" Canadian Air and Space Museum is pleased to announce the launch of its first fundraising campaign to preserve its priceless collection of tens of thousands of displays, artifacts, archives and aircraft from decades of Canadian military history.
November 12, 2012 By Carey Fredericks
"During this time of Remembrance, our message is even more poignant, that institutions like the Canadian Air & Space Museum act as monuments and legacies to the historical value made by our veterans. It is becoming increasingly crucial to preserve their stories for future generations," said Ian McDougall, Chairman of the not-for-profit Canadian Air & Space Museum.
Since its eviction from Downsview Park in September 2011, the Museum has now packed its precious collection into 44, 40-foot freight containers. The Museum hopes to re-open its doors one day, but more immediately, funds need to be raised to ensure the safety and preservation of the existing collection.
Phase 1 of the fundraising campaign has a goal of $500,000, which will be primarily directed to two immediate needs:
1) Preserving the Museum's collection that now sits in 44 freight containers. Sizable indoor storage space needs to be found, with proper environmental conditions, for the contents to be unloaded before winter weather sets in. Afterwards, monthly storage rental fees needs to be covered.
2) Pay to construct a temporary hangar to store the Museum's two most precious items – the only full-scale metal replica of the Avro Arrow and the City of Toronto's WWII Lancaster Bomber (the aircraft that used to sit atop a pole alongside Lakeshore Blvd, in front of Ontario Place). These are the only two items remaining in the Downsview location, because due to their size, there is no current storage available for them.
